Three more charged with teen's murder

LONDON (Reuters) - Police have charged three more male teenagers with murdering 14-year-old Shaquille Smith in east London last weekend -- the 25th teenager to die violently in the capital this year.

Detectives said in a statement that George Amponsah, 18, as well as a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old, all from east London, had been charged with the murder and would appear at Thames Magistrates Court on Monday.

Last week, police charged Godiowe Dufeal, 19, and a 16-year-old male. Both were remanded in custody on Friday and will appear in court on October 3.

Smith died from a stab wound to his abdomen after becoming involved in a fight with a group of youths on August 30 in Hackney. His 16-year-old sister also suffered wounds to her face and neck in the incident but her injuries were not serious.

The wave of shootings and stabbings in London in recent months has prompted a police crackdown on young people carrying weapons. Metropolitan Police chief Ian Blair said in July the violence was "unacceptable".

Official figures released in July showed there were more than 22,000 serious offences involving knives in England and Wales in the year to end-March 2008, though crime fell significantly overall.